High Lord Camille Daladier
Camille Daladier, High Lord Protector, Premier Lord of the Court and Seigneur de Voubaix '(b.2803 - d.2887) was a politician, journalist, peace activist and former Président of Kanjor. Daladier made his name as a calm yet persuasive politician; well-known for working in the background of government while serving as both Trade and Finance Minister. As Chairman of the Parti Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs Daladier was an efficient manager, and after serving as Président, amassed considerable influence in a variety of circles; including the media, the judiciary and the Royal Court. His personal popularity, coupled with his considerable connections and influence, allowed him to dominate the Kanjorien political landscape, even in so far as removing the King and creating a Protectorate under his leadership. Early Life - born in Voubaix on 8 April 2803. His father, Pierre Jourdain Daladier, was a carpenter, and his mother, Morgan Benoite Giroud-Daladier, had trained as a typist yet remained a housewife. - a shy, quiet child, who excelled at school; due to his shyness his brilliance went largely unrecognised until he was much older. - won an Economics scholarship at the age of 16 to study at the ''École Normale Supérieure de la Gochelle - at university, remained shy and reclusive, socialising in a tight-knit group of friends. However, he gathered particular influence in the backrooms of student politics, making a name for himself as an efficient campaign manager for more popular student politicians. - graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Economics and Statistics, and subsequently achieved a Masters in Economics. Political Life Early Political Career - joined the Parti Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs at the age of 14; his father had been an active member of the party, and went on to Chair their local branch. - after university worked as an aide to '''Elaine Trudeau, who would go on to serve as Premier Ministre. She ensured Daladier was rewarded with a safe seat in Voubaix. - stood for election in the safe 22nd district of Voubaix, and was quickly promoted. - served as Trade and Industry Minister during Pierre Vascoin's short présidency; scored highly in approval ratings for his measured and fair dealings with trade unions and employers alike. - earned a reputation as pragmatic and unideological, as opposed to many of his firebrand are far-left colleagues. - served as Finance Minister for 18 years, under the administrations of both Frances Ellion and Guy Bérégovoy, again winning strong public support. Daladier fought off privatisation attempts, and succeeded in nationalising the fishing and space industries. Daladier's terse, dry yet unpolitical economic statements appeared non-partisan and placed him above ordinary political games. - succeeded Félix Auriol as Chairman of the PRT, promising a technocratic style of leadership. Président and Royal Circles - was elected Président of Kanjor, serving only 3 years. Although taking a keen interest in foreign affairs, winning acclaim for his work in the Indralan-Hanzan conflict, he was criticised by the left-wing of his party for going soft on the Monarchy. Some accused him of being a 'closet Monarchist'. Around this time Daladier appeared more confident and media-savvy, however his failed re-election bid dented his reputation. - after a short time out of the public spotlight, Daladier is awarded the International Prize for Peace Development for his role in mediating the Indralan-Hanzan conflict. This award was preceded by honourary degrees from the Royale Classe Préparatoire aux Grandes Écoles de la Reine Anne and the National Université Catholique Orthodoxe, two influential right-leaning institutions known for their avowed Monarchism. - Daladier becomes the second person to be inducted into the new Très Honorable Haute Cour de Conseil, becoming Sieur Camille Daladier, Seigneur de Voubaix. This confirmed his now-considerable influence within Royalist circles. - accepts a position writing a weekly column for the Monarchist newspaper L'Héraut - threw his weight behind Prince Charles in his bid to remain as Chairman of the PRT amid criticisms that such a move would cause a Constitutional Crisis; Daladier writes an article claiming there was no Constitutional Crisis, which did not alleviate issue. National Leader and Final Years - was named Premier Lord de la Cour, becoming the chief adviser to the King and the leader of the King's Court. Les Temps Economique named him "the most powerful man in Kanjor". - supports his friend Prince Charles once again, this time in his bid to oust Renard Ulliel as Party Chairman. Daladier's subtle criticisms of Ulliel's economic policies are seen to be the decisive moment in the coup to remove him. - disagreed with the King over the response to Prince Charles's appointment as Premier Ministre, rejecting the notion that he should be removed to prevent as Constitutional Crisis. A faction at Court opposed to the King gained momentum, and selected Daladier as their leader; some courtiers spread rumors of a bid to replace the King with Daladier in the role of Protector. - a Court-led move to oust the King filtered down to the États-Généraux, and Daladier was named High Lord Protector of the State, effectively acting as Regent with the consent of the Gouvernment. - Daladier was widely seen as an unstoppable political force, and the power struggle between himself and the King shifted public opinion away from the monarch. - Daladier indicated that the return of King Patric Frédéric would "irreperably jeopardise the position of the Monarchy in Kanjor", due to the King's deep unpopularity. With the consent of the États-Généraux, Daladier was allowed to remain in the position of Lord Protector even after Prince Charles stepped down as Premier Ministre. - After ensuring Patric Frédéric would never be able to return to the throne, Daladier stood down in 2884 to allow the next Monarch to rule. - Daladier spent his later years writing his memoirs, which charted his meteoric rise from working-class boy to national icon. He remained a powerful influence within the Court, and was frequently consulted by the new Queen. There still existed a faction within the Court that call themselves Daladierists, who advocate a form of constitutional monarchy in which an official is elected to act on behalf of the Monarch; which was created 2888. Death and Legacy - Daladier died in 2887, aged 84, and was granted a State Funeral. He was the first Communist politician to be given such treatment. The ceremony was not religious in tone, the first State Funeral not to be affiliated with the Orthodox Catholic Church. - While only serving as the Chairman of the Communist Party for six years, after leaving office Daladier became an icon for both the left and the right of the party estranged by the Nouveau Garde who had seized control after his resignation. His ideological legacy, known as Daladierism, generally promotes moderation and consensus in politics, an active foreign policy promoting peace and neutrality, a respect for human rights and personal privacy, and cohabitation with Monarchists in the shift towards a communist society. - Daladier also influenced the changes that were to come in Kanjorien political culture; although credited with saving the Monarchy, Daladier's establishment of the Protectorate renewed calls for greater democracy, and a faction at Court that erroneously named themselves Daladierists led the calls for an elected Monarchist official. The refusal of the Queen to bow down to calls for democracy eventually led to the elected position of ''Haut Lord Protecteur de l'État et Exécuteur du Monarque''. Daladier himself did not support the Daladierist ''faction at Court after her stood down as Protector, and he made a clear distinction that his own ideology of ''Daladierism should not be confused with what he called Constitutional Daladierism, or those aristocrats who had mutated his own ideas to justify the weakening of Monarchist power. - Daladier also left a last impression on the national as a whole. A dynamic political player, known for his calm and methodical manner, he represented a new kind of Communist politician very different from the fiery and ideological figures of the past. He won the respect of his rivals, and his influence within the media, the Royal Court and the judiciary were a testament to his political strength. - In a poll conducted in 2899, Daladier was voted the 'Greatest Kanjorien of the Past Century', closely followed by HRH Crown Princess Marie Louise-Elisabeth, with Daladier's ally HRH Prince Charles Gaston Guillaume coming third. Family - Daladier married his childhood sweetheart, trade union leader and feminist Jacqueline Noèle. Jacqueline was believed by many to have contributed greatly to her husband's rise to power; her feminist credentials impressed Liberals in the party, while her trade union connections gained influential allies in the party's Nationalist wing. - They have two daughters, Gabrielle and Diane, and one son, Adrien. - Gabrielle was a journalist for Le Gardien newspaper, and unaffiliated Communist. Her decision not to join the PRT was believed to be a career move, rather than any rebuke of her father's party. - Diane was the Kanjorien Diplomat to Kafuristan, and later became her father's official biographer. She joined the PRT at the age of 18, and was elected to the party's National Executive. - Adrien was a actor and politician. He was also notably an outspoken member of the Union Royale, before its dissolution, before joining the more right-wing Parti Démocrate-Chrétien de Kanjor. He was well-known as a Monarchist, and was made Seigneur de Voubaix, like his father. Adrien was executed in 2894 by the Communists for his Royalist views. Personal Life - Daladier published a novel, "The Sadness of Spring", during his time at university. It received mixed reviews upon publication, but is now a set text in most Kanjorien schools. - Daladier was a keen fan of opera, and worked considerably to bring opera to working-class communities. He held the title of National Patron of the Royal Kanjorien Opera House, the first non-Royal to do so. Political Views - During his early days as a politician, Daladier was known as a moderate on most positions. Unlike many of his contemporaries, as Trade and Finance Minister, Daladier was distinctly unideological, and seemed to place Kanjor's best interest at heart. He was generally seen to be an independent Communist, who trusted unelected officials and bureaucrats more than fellow politicians, who he criticised as overtly careerist and partisan. - During his latter days in elected office, Daladier was accused by the party's left of drifting towards the centre, and softening his position on the Monarchy. While Daladier never openly endorsed the Monarchy, he did assert he saw no real reason why communism could not be achieved under a Monarchist system. His ambivalence towards democracy and preference for unelected officials can explain Daladier's position to the Monarchy in some ways. - Daladier was an atheist, but did not believe in the persecution of religion like some of his contemporaries. Like many issues, he lacked a strong opinion of religion, but generally believed that it was a personal issue and not for the state to legislate on. His State Funeral was decidedly humanist in manner.